Amazon Echo Goes On Backorder

Shoppers might have to wait until the New Year to get their hands on one of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers.

Bloomberg reported that several of Amazon’s online stores in North America and Europe are sold out of various Echo models, with shipment delayed to January or beyond in some areas.

The eCommerce giant said that it sold “millions” of Echo devices around the world during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and Cyber Monday, with the Echo Dot reigning as its best-selling product during that period.

In the U.S., the Echo Spot shows availability beginning Jan. 1, while other models will be available beginning this week. The Echo Dot is listed as unavailable in European countries where Amazon sells the device, with estimated delivery dates as early as January in Britain to as late as April in Germany.

The shipment delays aren’t surprising given the demand for the Echo. Back in October, a survey by Strategy Analytics revealed that it is the most popular smart speaker model in the U.S.

The report “Smart Speaker User Survey – U.S. Results,” showed that the Echo makes up 23 percent of all smart speakers in use. In fact, when all of its models are taken into account, Amazon accounts for 63 percent of smart speakers in use, while Google makes up 17 percent and Apple has 4 percent.

“Amazon and Google may dominate today’s market, but this will not always be the case. Many consumers are ready to consider alternative brands, assuming they meet the high expectations identified in this study, including high quality audio, superior design and device compatibility,” David Watkins, director, smart speakers at Strategy Analytics said at the time.

And in July, it was reported that the smart speaker installed base is expected to get close to the 100 million mark by the end of this year, and is expected to hit 225 million units by 2020.